The 100th Hunger Games: Those Who Were Chosen
by MariannaElizabeth
Summary: This year, there is no Reaping Ball, no million slips of paper and names. There are just those handpicked by the Capitol. And before going into the arena, each tribute is given a pack with a specific item, which could help or hinder their survival. Twenty Four tributes in the living nightmare of the 100th Games. They will provide the best entertainment the Capitol has had in years.
1. District 12: The Rebel and the Volunteer

**District 12: The Rebel and the Volunteer**

_THE CAPITOL:_

Artemis (Head Gamemaker)

I stare down at the list of names and pictures, the tributes that will be making their way to the Capitol tonight.

They have been chosen, the Reapings are about to start and the arena is all prepared.

Let the 100th Hunger Games begin.

"Okay everyone; this is the moment that you have all been waiting for. The Reapings of the 100th Annual Hunger Games." I say, switching on my TV voice. Sitting in my little control room, I'm doing the voice over before the Reapings start. "Sit down, grab some food, relax and enjoy the show. Trust me; this year is going to be a _very_ interesting one. We've made sure of it."

"Let's cut to District 12 now." The woman beside me, my sister says into her microphone.

_DISTRICT 12:_

Ecta Yotire (District 12) POV

The people from the community home where I live start calling us. I don't exactly hurry to leave my room because I don't like what is waiting for me. No one does, but hardly anyone has anything to worry about. The kids that surround me, those of reaping age anyway, are mostly just annoying, but typical kids. They don't have a reason for the Capitol to select them for the Hunger Games. Not like I do.

The reason I'm here in this stupid home anyway, is because my parents are dead. The Capitol executed them for rebel activities. They made weapons and stuff in secret, probably trying to fuel a third rebellion against the Capitol. In my opinion, they've already beat us down twice, so there shouldn't be a third attempt.

My parents were idiots.

When I finally leave my room, after hearing my name screamed through the walls by one of the workers, some stupid kid runs into me just as I get out of my door. The little boy wobbles around from the impact.

"Idiot!" I shove him to the ground before walking out of the home. I'm not usually that mean, but today I'm on edge. Every emotion in my body is haywire because I know what will happen to me today. I guess I'm jealous, knowing that tonight that little boy will come back here, with the rest of his life ahead of him, while mine will be shortened significantly because I will be on the way to the Capitol.

My parents were idiots. They should have thought about what their actions would do to others. They should have thought about the impact it would have on me, their daughter who they apparently loved so much. But if they loved me, they wouldn't have doomed me to this fate.

The Capitol is evil, but my parents shouldn't have tried to rebel against them.

"Ecta! Let's go." The woman escorting us to the Reaping says.

"Yeah yeah." I say, slowly following the group of kids. I can feel her staring into my back, and I know that she knows what is going to happen today as well.

There is no better choice for the District 12 tribute then me.

I twinge when the blood in drawn from my hand, and scram off as soon as I am identified as _Ecta Yotire, Age 12. _I move towards the twelve year olds but I stand slightly away from the rest of them. It's not like I have anyone to stand with anyway. As usual, those of us from the community home arrived at the last minute, so soon the reaping is in full swing.

"As you know, the Capitol has handpicked the tributes for this year, so there won't be any names drawn. Also, don't forget that there are no volunteers this year." The escort says. Her tone implies that half the district is jumping up and down for a change to volunteer but no one has in District 12, not since Katniss Everdeen.

We leave the volunteering to the careers.

"Now, our female tribute this year..."

I stand up a little straighter.

"... Is Ecta Yotire."

As soon as I start to walk to the stage, the millions of cameras covering the reaping swivel towards me. I smirk at the closest one, letting the world know that I knew it was me, and that I'm ready to play their games.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the Capitol or the Hunger Games, but I won't go down without a fight.

No, I just won't go down at all.

Tobias Cypren (District 12) POV

Happy Reaping Day to me.

Happy Reaping Day to me.

Happy Reaping Day to Tobias.

Happy Reaping Day to me.

"Like hell." I say to myself. There is no way that this could be some great day but my parents had actually wished me 'happy reaping day' this morning when I woke up. They way they said it almost implied that they knew something I don't. It gets a little complicated there because, well, I actually do know it.

The worst part about this Quarter Quell for those of us in the non career districts, we can pretty much guess who is going to get picked by the Capitol. So for the last six months since the Quarter Quell announcement, my parents have made my fate pretty clear even though they never said it out loud.

Ever since the comments from my father about 'doing some training' and what my mother said about 'toning up', I knew.

They had always encouraged me to volunteer for the games, for some reason, because they were deluded enough to believe that I could win them. Then again, my parents are the same people that are trying to turn District 12 into a career District, encouraging everyone to start training their kids and have them volunteer.

"Screw you!" I yell to no one as I walk to the Reaping.

Screw my parents, who volunteered me to the Capitol as tribute.

Screw the Capitol, who will pick me so that they can have a good show.

"Are you okay?" A girl asks, giving me a strange look. I didn't realise that there was anyone else around, considering the path from my house to the main town was pretty much always deserted.

"Yeah I'm fine." I mutter, walking past her without a second glance.

"Good luck today!" I hear her yell.

I don't reply, because I can't think of anything to say. Somewhere inside of me, I wish that there was something along the lines of good luck, something that would put the odds in my favour and protect me because I don't want to die. I don't want to be a tribute and I don't want to die.

"Ecta Yotire."

The female tribute is a small, twelve year old girl. People mumble sadly, but everyone knew that it would be her. Her parents were publicly executed for rebel activities a few years ago, so it couldn't really be anyone else. Even if the Capitol hadn't 'picked' out the tributes this year, I wouldn't be surprised if her name had come out of the reaping ball.

It was bound to happen to her.

"Now, the selected male tribute this year is... Tobias Cypren."

There isn't any sad mumblings about my reaping.

Everyone knows my parents and my parents aren't very well liked, which is aimed at me as well. There are people who have dubbed me a career, because they really think I am bloodthirsty and vicious.

I know that the majority of people, those who hate my parents with a burning passion, will be praying for my death so that my parents see what the games are really all about, and so they shut the hell up.

"That's my boy!" My dad screams, cheering.

As soon as we are lead away, I will tell the Peacekeepers not the let my parents in to see me. I don't want to even look at them, which is why I look at the ground once I've taken my place next to little Ecta.

Artemis (Head Gamemaker) POV

"What an idiot." I mutter as the boy's dad continues to cheer while the escort tries to talk over him. It takes a lot to surprise me, but I was shocked to see the request come from his parents, for me to enter their son in the games.

I guess the dad's reaction was enough to make for a good reaping alone.

"What do you think of them?" My sister, Yolanda and the other Head Gamemaker along with myself, asks me.

"I think they will both die on the first day." I say.

Yolanda gives me a sly smile before pressing a button on the microphone that connects her to the head of the broadcast.

"One minute warning on the switch to District 11. Let the escort know so that he can get the ball rolling on their Reaping. Put a couple of commercials on for the break and the hotline numbers for sponsors."

_"Got it."_

**A/N: So, what did you think about the first chapter of Reapings? I'm going to try and get through them as quickly as possible, because they can be a little tedious. Still, I hope you like them. I am starting from District 12 and going backwards for something new to do. Let me know what you think in the reviews.**

**Marianna**


	2. District 11: Haven't You Done Enough?

**District 11 Reapings: Haven't You Done Enough?**

DISTRICT11:

Calypso Brazinhad (District 11) POV

"No one is able to just walk around, saying things about the Capitol like that." The largest Peacekeeper of the three says to me, pushing me to the ground so that he can tower over my fragile form.

"Oh really? So I can't walk around and call the Capitol a bunch of-"

He slapped me across the face before I could finish.

"You're going to hell girl."

"Good! It'll be better than this stupid fucking district." I wasn't usually someone who swore a lot, but the peacekeepers had pushed me to my limit, like they did so often. This wasn't the first time that I had gotten in trouble with them. In fact, it happens quite a bit. Luckily they're all stupid enough that I can talk my way out of it if I try.

He looks like he wants to hit me again, but he is stopped by his companion.

"Just leave her today. She'll probably get what she deserves at the Reaping."

Will I?

"If you get picked today, you had it coming stupid girl."

With that the Peacekeepers leave me alone in the orchid, my cheek stinging.

I didn't plan on going home before the Reaping, but I know that I need to cover up the forming bruise, just in case the cameras end up trained on my face today as the Peacekeepers predict.

"Reaping Day. Reaping Day. I love the Reaping Days." My father sings from his place on the couch. He gives me a surprise look as I walk in. "Thought you had to be at the Reaping Day Calypsie." His voice is still a sing song one, even when he is addressing me.

"I do, but I've got something to do. Mum'll take you to the Reaping Day soon because you have to go as well."

My father is insane. I don't know what actually made him go crazy because my Mum will never talk about it. I don't want to really know anyway, but he has acted like a little kid because of his condition for as long as I can remember. He even thinks Calypsie is my real name.

I hurry into my room and grab some of the makeup that I had been lucky enough to acquire. In a place like District 11, it isn't really of much use to anyone, but just because we have little reason to look pretty doesn't mean we don't want to.

I cover up the forming bruise and then dash out the door, ignoring my father's yells of "Reaping Day! Reaping Day!" My mother won't let him actually watch the games, so he doesn't even know what's going on. He doesn't remember much these days anyway.

I am one of the first to get to the square, despite the fact that the Reaping isn't exactly something to look forward to. But I don't want to be at home, so I decided that I just may as well be here. I sign in and go stand in my section, waiting, waiting, waiting.

People crowd around as they enter the square. District 11's population is very big so only about two thousand kids actually get to watch the Reaping live. About a week before the Reaping, those who have to attend are notified. Usually their attendance is because of a 'pre reaping' draw of those names out of the five or so thousand kids eligible for the games, but because the Capitol has already chosen the tributes, the attendance today is just for show.

The escort, some guy whose name I don't even listen for, steps up to the stage when the Reaping is finally ready to start. He says a few things that we have all heard a hundred times before and then proceeds to explain the quarter quell to us, something that we are already aware of as well.

"So our female tribute, who was handpicked from all of District 11's eligible 12 to 18 years old is... Calypso Brazinhad."

I'm not shocked.

I'm angry and I'm sad, but in some parts of me I did expect it. Being the biggest smart mouthed kid in the District, the Peacekeepers were right when they said that I had it coming.

I wonder if my Mum will let Dad watch the games this year.

Pine Bloom (District 11) POV

My sister Rose died when I was three.

My sister Fern died when I was five.

My brother Flint died when I was six.

No one can deny that the Capitol loves to screw around with my family. I'm the youngest of eight kids, but in this day, only five of us are alive because the games took my brother and two sisters away.

There are better ways to punish the Districts of Panem then having the Hunger Games. Usually, I try not to think of them but on Reaping Day, I can't help it. My Mum always tried to hide the tapes of my sibling's games that we were sent after they died and pretend that they didn't exist, but I can't avoid the memories that I have from them on a day like today.

I never knew Rose, apart from what I've seen on the tape for her games. She was a beautiful young girl, kind hearted and sweet. But that doesn't get you far in the games and while she managed to get a few days in, she was killed off by the careers the second they came across her in the arena.

I remember Fern a little, and I remember her games from watching them with my own eyes and not just the recording of them. Two years after Rose died left her wanting to take revenge on District 2, something which she tried to do in the very first fight. But the bloodbath on Day 1 is called a bloodbath for a reason and she was killed.

Then there was Flint the next year, the only one of my siblings not to have a gruesome death. His was a quick knife to the head, dead before he could even realise what had happened.

And it is because of all this that I can't shake the horrid feeling in my stomach. Like I said, the Capitol loves to screw around with my family.

"I love you Mum." I hug my mother before heading off to the Reaping. With District 11's large population, the people who aren't eligible usually watch the coverage from their homes.

"See you later." She says as I leave, but I can sense the twinge in her words, and know that she is aware of that possibility as well, the one that I might not come home.

We don't live far from the square and I'm soon in the thick of people heading to the Reaping. I see a lot of people that I know, and stop here and there to wish them luck or receive their own well wishes. I hope that I don't have to see anyone I care about, any of my friends names called out today.

"Good luck Pine." Another guy calls out.

"Good luck." I call back as I head to the seventeen year olds while he goes towards the eighteen's section.

It isn't long until the nervous silence falls over District 11.

"...Calypso Brazinhad"

The girl tribute is someone I recognise. She is always in trouble with the Peacekeepers for something. I've also heard her at school, bad mouthing the Capitol. It isn't a mystery why she was chosen and with the hint of a bruise on her face, it is obvious that she has been in trouble with someone recently, which is probably what put her in the eyes of the Capitol.

And now they'll take their revenge on her. I hope that she manages to survive it and show them up.

"Pine Bloom."

When my name is called out I hear a scream from someone that could only be my mother. I see the horrified stares of my friends around me.

My heart sinks in my chest, but not because I'm surprised.

"It's okay Mum." I call out to her as I make my way to the stage. "It's okay!"

"Haven't you done enough yet?" Someone screams out, just as I get to the stage. I look up from the ground in surprise to see Calypso yelling at a camera. "Haven't you done enough yet? Well all know this family. You've taken so many of them away and you're still not happy? You have to rip another person away from this family? You all disgust me."

Calypso spits on the ground and I hear frantic yells from the camera crew to cut to the next District.

"Stop." I whisper to her. "Don't anger them anymore."

"Why? They've already screwed everything up for my life. What more can they actually do to me?" She asks. "If you don't fight against them then they will just walk all over you."

These games are perfect for the Capitol. This is where they can get rid of the people like Calypso, and despite the fact that I don't want her blown up the second the steps into the arena by the Capitol, I am glad for her words spoken against them.

THE CAPITOL:

Artemis (Head Gamemaker):

"Why the hell are you still broadcasting?" Yolanda yells into her microphone. "Cut to District 10."

_"Yes Ma'am."_

"Don't give me that! Just do it." She screams and a second later the TV cuts from District 11 to 10. "Oh my god. What a brat."

"Calm down." I tell her, patting her arm gently. My sister has always had a pretty fierce temper and I knew that if she could, she would blow up Calypso right now.

"That brat."

"Don't worry. Spend the next week thinking about how you can make her life hell in the arena. You'll feel better once you plan it all out." I say. Yolanda gives me a dark look.

"Don't think I won't."

"Do whatever you want to her. It isn't like she is going to be a fan favourite here in the Capitol."

"Well, I hope all the tributes don't make me this angry." She hisses before speaking through the microphone again. _"_Why has District 10 not started? Tell the escort to hurry up!"

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this one. I'm trying to make the Reapings as different for each District as I can so that they're more interesting. District 10 will be up soon and please review and tell me what you thought :)**

**Marianna**


	3. District 10: Ready to Kill

Yolanda (Head Gamemaker) POV

When they finally cut to District 10 I am relieved. The stupid girl from District 11 has put me on edge. Artemis is right. I probably will spend the next week thinking of ways to torture her. Hell, I could even choke her to death the second she arrived in the Capitol.

Hopefully District 10 won't be as eventful, in 'treason against the Capitol' kind of way.

Thankfully I'm given something to distract my thoughts, as I continue to yell at the incompetent TV crew.

Mercia de Breeze (District 10) POV

"What the hell are you looking at?" I hiss at some little girl, probably like eight or nine. She is staring at me like her eyes are going to fall out of her head or something. Stupid.

"Sorry." She whispers, the colour draining from her face as I take a few steps closer to her. About three steps later she gives up and runs away.

I'm used to the stares and I usually don't chase people away because of it but I'm pissed off because of Reaping Day. My father's all drunk because of it anyway so I just wanted to get out of the house for a bit but I didn't need to be stared at because I'd gone out on the street. Just because I'm a victors daughter doesn't mean little kids get to gawk at me.

"What are you doing hanging around here?" A Peacekeeper asks, storming up to me. He must have seen the thing with the little girl and is using it as an excuse to move me away from the streets. It's not illegal or anything, but everyone is moody today.

"Breathing air. Is that illegal?"

"You should be getting ready for the Reaping."

"After I finish breathing my air." I reply in an emotionless tone. The Peacekeeper grits his teeth. He looks like he wants to slap me but his life isn't worth as much as my face. He'd be killed for touching me.

"There is air inside Victors Village."

"I know, but it's fresher outside." I leave it at that, ending the pointless exchange and sauntering off. I am glad to realise that my father is at least partially sober when I get home but I know it will last until the second he is on the train to the Capitol. Then he will just start drinking and smashing things as usual.

"Do you know who the tributes are going to be?" I ask him. They've been handpicked by the Capitol, so he probably has some idea. In response, he sips at his liquor. "Dad!" I yell.

He jumps. Stupid idiot.

"No. We don't know."

I wondered if he had actually been told, but was drunk at the time and forgot. He goes to take another drink but I smash the glass out of his hand, letting it shatter on the ground.

He always ends up, in some way or another, messing up the Reapings by insulting the Capitol if he is too drunk.

"Keep your mouth shut today when you're at the Reaping." I hiss at him. "And stop drinking."

He doesn't say anything, but I know – because he's not completely smashed at the moment – that it gets through to him. There may be two of us in this house, but I'm pretty much the one in control.

"Come on. Let's go." I grab him and force him to move out the door. "Reaping time."

Once I have delivered my Dad to the custody of the Capitol escort for this year, I sign in and saunter over to the fourteen year olds. A few people greet me, mainly because they don't want to piss me off and I ignore all of them.

I'm just not really in the mood for anything at the moment. I want this Reaping to hurry up and finish so I can go home, drink some hot chocolate and watch the rest of the Reapings just for something to do.

Dexter Thorley (District 10) POV

As the reaping starts, I see a tonne of kids grab the hands of the person next to them, clinging to each other to dear life. Of course, this is mostly the twelve year olds in the section that I'm standing it, scared because they are facing their first Reaping. The only other group of people that seem to condone this childish behaviour, ironically, are those who are eighteen and facing their last Reaping.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a small girl – even smaller then me – swaying nervously. I feel like telling her she is stupid for being scared because there is no way she will get picked. An ordinary girl like her will not be going to the Capitol today.

Urgh, they are all so stupid.

If it wasn't illegal to kill random people, and I had a gun, I would probably dispose of all these weak people around me.

The only ones even worthy to stay alive are my younger brothers and I because we aren't weak. Our father made sure that we were strong and I've been trained my whole life for opportunities such as the one before District 10 and the rest of Panem once a year.

"Mercia de Breeze." I've been locked in my own thoughts for a while, and I didn't notice that the reaping had even started until the girls name is called out.

I smirk a little, earning strange looks from the people around me, but I can't help it. I already knew that her name would be read out today.

The daughter of a victor looks a little shocked for a second, as if she never actually expected to be chosen, but she covers it up quickly as she moves to the stage and shakes her father's hand. After that, she just stares blankly out into the crowd.

The escort hurries to read out the second name and I – always two steps ahead of everyone – am ready to move before the name is even spoken.

"Dexter Thorley."

My younger brothers are all too young to be eligible this year, so I knew it would be me. It couldn't really be anyone else because District 10 doesn't have many kids trained to kill.

Or, more to my point, there aren't very many people in District 10 that are perfect enough to be chosen.

But I am.

However, the other tributes don't need to know all of this.

A split second after my name is called, I burst out in the fake tears I have rehearsed. I have always considered myself quite good at acting and all, so I relish in the chance to test out my skills.

I even through in a few screaming kind of sobs and fall to the ground for good measure.

As I walk up to the stage after regaining my feet, I see the disgusted look on Mercia's face, and I know that I have done everything right.

And when I reveal my true skills in the arena, I'll wipe that face clear of any expression when I kill her.

**A/N: Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed District 10 as much as the last ones, and I'll post up District 9 tomorrow.**

**Marianna**


	4. District 9: The Closet Killers

District 9: The Closet Killers

Kaylisse Bauer (District 9) POV

_"What did you call me out for?" Sasha asked._

_"You know what it's about." I replied, staring deeply into her eyes, my own burning with my desire for revenge. The 'oh so innocent' Sasha pretended she has no clue. _

_"Kaylisse… I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Sash, we've been friends for a long time and I know when you're lying." I said in my sweetest voice, walking closer to her. She took a few steps back, getting closer to the edge of the pier._

_"Kay-"_

_I didn't hesitate in pushing her off, letting her plunge into the water. In a second I am down beside her, holding her head under the water and refusing to let her surface. At first she struggled but soon the movements grow slower and quickly cease. When I finally let go of her, she is dead._

I gasp as I wake up from the dream, a little sheen of sweat on my head.

I don't regret the revenge I took on Sasha – it was her own damn fault anyway – but I hate the fact that she insists on haunting my dreams.

She was my friend once, but she got really jealous and went out of her way to make my life hell. She even stole all of my clothes and disposed of them in District 9's next shipment to the Capitol.

The revenged I dished out was pretty well deserved, and like I said, I don't regret it.

I take a moment to regain my composure and let my mind wonder to something else.

It's Reaping Day today. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Nervous or not. I don't know. The games are pretty cruel and evil, but while they appeal to some darker part of me, I don't want to be a part of them.

Not today anyway.

My mum greets me when I head out of my room. My father is out working as much as possible for the Reaping and my mother takes the time for us to spend some quality time together. She is always a little… protective… on Reaping day. I guess I can't blame her.

Sometimes I feel a little weird though, when she constantly dotes on me and thinks of me as the perfect daughter, when she knows nothing about the things I do.

"You look beautiful today, honey." My mum says, stroking my golden brown hair. Nerves flutter in my chest and I wonder that if, at seventeen, I'm a little too old to be wishing that my mother could brush my hair like she did when I was a child. I guess I'm not the only one who feels a little sentimental on Reaping Days.

I shake away the feeling and smile.

"Thank you Mum." I say, standing up from the table. Quite a while has passed since we sat down together and the time for the Reaping is nearing. I hate that I have to get going. "I love you." I tell her, because I know I won't see her till after those hellish hours to come.

"Love you too." She whispers back to me as I leave.

"Kaylisse!" My best friend Devyn calls out.

"How long have you been waiting?" I ask, getting the feeling that she's been standing outside of my house for a while.

"Not long. Also, we don't have much time for chit chat. We gotta head to the Reaping."

"I know." I reply, walking along beside her from the outskirts of town to the town square. "Nervous?"

"Not really." Devyn says. "But, you know what I'm like."

Competitive. Hates to lose.

"You would probably be volunteering if you could." I observe. She smiles.

"Maybe next year and you can cheer me on." She says. I smile but I feel a bit queasy at the idea. The part of the Hunger Games that appeals to me would probably be lost if my best friend was in it. I don't doubt that she could win or anything, but I would be shattered if she lost.

Chances are she wouldn't volunteer anyway. District 9 is not a career Distict.

"Come on Kaylisse." Devyn speeds up slightly, almost a jogging pace.

I don't reply, a little annoyed, but I do pick up my pace.

All too soon, we are standing with the rest of the seventeen year olds, waiting for the Reaping to begin. All too soon, the first name is ready to be read out. Devyn gives me a smile, some attempt at being a little reassuring and also showing off her confidence.

"Kaylisse Bauer."

That look quickly turns to shock.

What? No! I'm not someone who should be chosen.

"No." I whisper, shock rippling through my body. No. No. No.

Tears drip down my face and I can't hold the sobs in either. As I walk to the stage I see confused looks and whispers, because people know who I am and they don't expect me to be the person chosen. Someone even says that they're must be a mistake, that I'm too good for something like this.

It pulls at my heart to hear that people care so much, but even through my disbelief, I only have to remember my nightmare to know why I was chosen.

They wrote her death off as a suicide, but I guess the Capitol really does know everything that goes on in the Districts.

Sterling Kenmore (District 9) POV

I sit in my room, waiting for the workers in the community home to call us to the Reaping. I'm bored, and the waiting seems to be dragging on and on and on and on.

In time with the seconds ticking on the clock in my room, I pat the cat sitting on my legs. It purrs, content to keep sitting with me for as long as I allow it. However, with my boredom growing every ticking second, I decide that that time is up.

Ready to alleviate my boredom, I pick up the knife at my side.

_Blood. There is blood everywhere._

_The peacekeepers have stormed into my house and are attacking my family. My mum, my dad and my sister._

_Screams. Blood and screaming._

_It's all I can see and all I can hear._

_"No! Please stop!"_

The people from the home start to call for us to go to the Reaping. I sigh and slash the knife across the throat of the squirming cat, ending its life. There is blood on the floor, but I can't be bothered to clean it up. There is a reason why people tend to avoid my room anyway.

I found this cat picking through rubbish, but I remember seeing it in the window of someone's house, though I settled for taking it from the streets.

They know about what I do, the Peacekeepers, but they're too scared to stop me. I'm glad they just let me do what I want, but sometimes I worry that they'll attack me in my sleep or something. I'm not particularly scared of them but I can't just go around killing Peacekeepers.

If there weren't restrictions on it, or consequences, I probably would've done it already.

I leave the cat on the floor and hurry out of my room.

"You shouldn't take so long." My only friend, Elle, says to me.

"Sorry." I mutter, feeling like it was my older sister talking to me, and not this little girl.

She has always had that effect on me, and she's the only person who can ever calm me down and keep me grounded – sort of.

"Hurry up." She says, making sure I start walking at a quick enough pace for her. There isn't really a rush though, considering how close the community home is to the market square, the place of the Reaping.

About five minutes after we leave, we arrive in the square. Two minutes later, wait – two minutes and thirty seconds later – we are standing in our assigned areas.

As this is my second Reaping, I'm standing with kids who are now thirteen years of age.

Soon, not long after we arrive, the Reaping begins and the special conditions of the Quarter Quell are read out. The Capitol will be hand picking the tributes from each District. There isn't much to say after that, and they hurry into reading out the names.

First, the girl.

"Kaylisse Bauer."

I don't really watch as the girl, Kaylisse, takes her place on the stage. I'm too busy listening for the second name, the name of the boy who will become a tribute from District 9 this year.

"Sterling Kenmore."

Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

I look up from the ground and take a step forward, meeting the eyes of the girl I am going to kill. While I keep my face steady, I can't calm the raging inside of me and the thirst for blood. Ever since I first killed a bully a few short years ago, I've been filled with this feeling.

I wanted so badly to be chosen for the Games, and I have.

I can't wait for the arena. I can't wait for the blood to flow.

Artemis (Head Gamemaker) POV

Both Yolanda and I can't help but laugh at the snivelling girl from District 9. Glancing over her file told us that she isn't the sobbing girl she pretends to me.

She's killed before, and chances are she'll do it again.

To murder someone over a stupid girl fight... the girl is practically insane and it's that quality that makes her perfect for the games, and a perfect companion to the boy standing beside her.

An interesting combination, with both – in a sense – being closet killers.

**A/N: Sorry for the slight delay with posting this up, but I'm in the middle of assignment season at school. Still, I tried to make this the best chapter I could. And I am officially a third of the way through the Reapings. Only eight more Districts to go now, and hopefully I can get them done within a week or two. Anyway, I hope you guys loved this chapter and look forward to reading the next one for District 8.**

**Marianna**


	5. District 8: Fire and Ice

District 8: Fire and Ice

Meiko Silk (District 8) POV

On the day of the Reaping, I distract myself with a really good breakfast. Despite the fact that I come from District 8, which is not really a rich District, I am the daughter of the Mayor, so at least I get well fed. My father joins me at the table, even though he should be preparing for the Reaping.

"Good eggs." He says in an attempt to start a conversation. I know that he doesn't feel like really talking and neither do I, so I don't bother to reply. I just continue to eat my breakfast.

When I finish my eggs, I reach over to pick up a piece of toast but accidentally end up knocking my hand into my glass of water. My father looks up from his food.

"Sorry." I mutter as I reach for my toast again, picking it up before dropping it a second later. My body trembles.

"Again? Meiko are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" I yell, exploding for what would appear to be no real reason, but I'm on edge. I pick up the toast, managing without any trouble this time, before throwing it back on my plate as I stand up. I kick at my chair with my foot to push it back under the table and walk quickly to my room.

Sometimes I feel like I am too hard on my father, but I can never forgive him.

I pull on the clothes I am going to wear to the Reaping and hurry out of the house.

I can't forgive him because he is the reason my mother left. He was always sleeping around and she eventually just couldn't stand his exploits. She left me with him when I was ten and married a baker. That's where I'm going now. To the bakery so I can see my mother.

It isn't a long walk, so it is one I do make fairly regularly. Within about ten minutes I am there.

I don't actually go inside. I haven't spoken to my mother in a long time and she has never visited me, only talking to me if she runs into me while we are both out in the District. She doesn't know how often I come to see her.

I stop near the window, concealed behind a small tree, and I look in.

My mother is talking to her husband, the baker named David. My half brother, Meito, is sitting in his lap. He is only four so today, they have nothing to worry about, and the relief of that is reflected on David's face. My mother however, doesn't look totally at ease as they discuss the Reaping, and I feel a little happiness at the fact that she remembers her daughter.

I leave it at that and walk away. Seeing them has gotten me to a point where I'm calm again, enough to head home for the last half an hour or so before we will be called to the Reaping.

"Meiko!" Someone calls out as I am close to home.

I feel a trickle of happiness to see Elmer standing near me.

"Hi smelly egg."

"Don't call me that, evil woman." He retorts. Oh how I love our bickering. "Good luck today." He replies, reminding me of what is in stall for us.

"You too." I mutter. I am about to ask him if he wants to walk to the Reaping with me when someone else calls out his name. Krystal Desa, a beautiful and kind girl walks up to us.

Technically there isn't anything bad about her, but I don't particularly like her, mainly because Elmer is in love with her.

"Elmer, we should get going now." She says, after giving me a little smile.

"Yeah. See you later Meiko." He says, basically forgetting about me as he hurried off with Krystal. Prickled with annoyances, I hurry after them as well.

"I'll come with you." I say as I catch up, 'accidentally' running into Krystal as I do. "Oh, sorry." I say, my lack of apology very obvious in my voice.

Sora Emerson (District 8) POV

I'm not sure if it is a good thing to know what fate has install for me today. Would you rather know if you were headed to your death in a few days or not? I've know that I would be chosen for these games ever since the Quarter Quell was announced. When one spends so much time thinking about the Capitol and knows how they work, one can pick these things out with ease.

And the Capitol would get a great show if they have me in their games.

How ironic, that the boy who was reaped last year but saved by his brother who volunteered, will end up in the games this year?

Usually these things are subtle, random chances that the Capitol presents to us, but today I know that they will not bother with that. The tributes for these games have been chosen to make the games even crueler, and so that they don't have to bother with coincidences like most other years because we all know that the Reapings are easily rigged.

All you have to do is look at the families, like one in District 11, that lose three or four kids to the games.

There is no coincidence in that.

I don't like the games and I don't expect to win them, but I do expect to get something out of them when I kill the tributes from District Five, the District that murdered my brother last year.

If I can get my revenge, then my life will have some meaning when it is ended and the years I've spent here will have not been worthless, in my eyes anyway.

Waiting for the Reaping to start, I can't help but tap my foot. I want this to be over. I want to be on the train to the Capitol and watching the recap of the Reapings. I want to know who my targets are.

I stop tapping once the Reaping is started, glad that everything is moving forward.

"Meiko Silk!"

I'm not surprised when the daughter of the mayor's name is called out and I don't think that many people are. However, Meiko herself seems completely shocked as she walks to the stage with clenched fists. About halfway to the stage, for seemingly no reason, she stumbles and falls to the ground.

Her chin smashes into the concrete, drawing blood on the ground and the Peacekeepers rush to pick her up. There is little consideration for how she is when they pull her to the stage. All they care about is getting her up there. I can see the tears in her eyes and I think about how unfortunate it is, looking so weak in front of all on Panem.

"Sora Emerson!" My name is called, just as I expected.

Two years running, my name has been read out. There are mumbles from the crowd, about how cruel it is to select me, but I smile coolly at the cameras.

It is my way of letting the Capitol know that I am ready to take revenge on those who killed my brother, that they will get a good show out of me.

I'm not even scared. Ever since the Quarter Quell was announced, I've kind of been desensitised to the whole thing, and kind of calm about it all.

I stand beside Meiko, who has silent tears streaming down her face. The tears mix with the blood on her chin as they make their way down her face, before a stream of red flows slowly down her neck. I feel sorry for her, because the whole of Panem is watching this right now and it is all they will remember her for.

The escort directs us to shake hands and Meiko holds out one of them. I take it, noticing the last thing that everyone else would even think of. A glance at her other hand confirms it.

If someone trips over, they usually reach out to break their fall, their hand taking most of the impact and injury. There are no marks on either of her hands, as though she didn't even try to stop herself.

No one else would have noticed this, and I doubt that she did either.

Artemis (Head Gamemaker) POV

Spinocerebellar ataxia.

It is a degeneration disease. A person who is affected by it will gradually lose control of their body, with functions such as movement and speech declining to the point where they are confined to a bed with little movement and no ability to speak.

Meiko Silk was examined by doctors because of her father's concern for odd behaviours such as dropping things and falling over a lot, as was demonstrated when she was reaped.

Her disease was discovered by the Capitol a little over a week ago and that is when I knew that she would be a perfect girl to be reaped.

She doesn't even know that she is sick.

I smile a little. It was so perfect that her disease became so obvious at the Reaping. She isn't even in the Capitol yet and she is already providing a show.

"Her disease is in the early stages right?" Yolanda asks me.

"Yes. At the moment it is just little things, like the inability to judge depth perception, dropping things and minor problems with walking, causing her to fall over." I have looked over her file quite a lot.

"Well, is it really going to progress much in the next week to a month, depending on how long she is alive, to actually be interesting?" My sister asks.

I give her a smile.

"Things can be healed here in the capitol sis. But, you know, they can also be speed up."

**A/N: Sorry that it took a little longer than usual for this chapter to be uploaded but I hope that you like it. It won't take as long for the next one. I should have District 7 up within the next day, I promise. **

**Marianna**


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